Rating: 
Summary: Henry Blake Would Have Aproved!
Review: . I had long been curious about "Brief Encounter" because on the old M*A*S*H* TV show, LTC Henry Blake made a reference to it. He was afraid that his wife, Lorraine, back home in Bloomington, Illinois was having an affair! Does anyone remember that episode? "BA" is the story of two VERY respectable English folks, who are married to other people. A chance meeting on a train turns into a harmless, though touching affair. The woman, Celia Johnson is the first to realize it can't last. Henry Blake would have approved! (She was nominated for a Best Actress Award.) The male lead, Trevor Howard, eventually does too. The story, and resolution, is predictable given the setting in the prim and proper mid-40s in England. The staging is first rate. Much action takes place in a commuter train station with the whoosh of steam engines, the shrill conductors' whistles, the dashing up and down passenger ramps, the terse announcements and the ratter and clatter/clickity clack of the passing trains. "Mind the Gap", indeed! The scenes in the snack bar, with the tart tongued bartenderess are sharp and poignant. The supporting cast, all of whom hang in the bar are wonderful in that British "old movie" way. Americans never did scenes like these as well. "BE" won no Academy Awards in 1946. "The Best Years of Our Lives" was too much competition. Those that watched Mr. Howard in the classic The Third Man", are due for a surprise. The stiff- necked British Army officer is gone. In "BE" he plays a sensible, sensitive and caring Doctor obviously in painful love with a woman he can never have. This reviewer would easily give 5 stars to the overall production, the secondary cast, the settings and that black and white filming. It is quite obvious that a very talented Director was at the helm of this one. Still, more suspense and/or angst is required for a 5 star rating. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl has been done so often before and since. One star must be deducted for the foreseeable ending. "BE" is yet one more example of why certain old movies should never be colorized.
Rating: 
Summary: Encounter Brief Encounter
Review: 1946's Brief Encounter, directed by David Lean (of Doctor Zhivago fame, which he would later direct in 1965) is a great film full of subtlety, romance and melancholia. Shot in black and white, this film is almost a signature of the 40's, as was the more popular and successful Casablanca. Without mention of World War II, this film deals with internal struggles of the heart. Cecila Johnson stars as the romantic heroine, a married woman and Trevor Howard the love interest, a married doctor. Though it's apparent they are disenchanted with their marriages and they are in love with each other, they never fully give in to a passionate affair. It's a romance that is mostly feelings and emotions, furtive glances, sighs, talk and regular meetings that are brief in a train station.David Lean is experimenting with many techniques, particularily intimate angles and interior monologue. No film can ever top his Doctor Zhivago, but this film is at least second best and good for its time in 1946. There is a particularly impressive scene in which the lovers are interrupted and Celia Johnson's character must take a train trip with a very chatty, annoying woman friend. The older woman chatters away and we tap into Celia's thoughts. "I wish she would stop talking.. I wish she were dead" (I thought this was hilarious because we are wishing the same thing by that point)....but then she reprimands herself and comes to the conclusion, after a tiring day, that life does not last, that nothing really lasts forever, neither happiness nor despair. It's very poignant. Another reason besides the great acting and the story itself is the fact that Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2, regarded as his finest, is played in this film. The dramatic, romantic storm that is the first movement, followed by a melancholy adagio, is very effective for this type of film.
Rating:
Summary: Brief Encounter-A Magnificent Tear Jecker
Review: Based on stage play of Noel Coward. It is the story of plain house wife Laura played by Celia Johnson and GP Alec played by Trevor Howard, who met accidentally when Alec removed a piece of grit from the eye of Laura in a train station (i.e Milford Junction). Their romance blossomed and ended in matter of 7 weeks.
Rating:
Summary: MARVELLOUS MOVIE WITH A TERRIFIC CAST
Review: Brief Encounter has recently been voted as the second best British film of all time by the British Film Institute after another movie that Criterion released in the recent months.That movie is the Third Man and the dvd quality especially the image was marvellous. Brief Encounter is pure cinema and a magnificient example of dramatic art.Trevor Howard (whom we also know from "The Third Man", Celia Johnson ( who was given the best actress award by New York Film Critics Circle) make up a perfect couple.This is one of those few movies that you can enjoy its every second and it is guaranteed to affect the first time viewer. I am sure Criterion has again done a terrific job just like it has done with The Grand Illusion, The 39 Steps or the Third Man. This edition of dvd also contains an audio commentary by Bruce Eder who was a joy to listen in the Criterion release of The Most Dangerous Game.Go buy this as soon as possible, I give you my word,you won't regret it even for a second of the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Simply one of the best films ever made. Beautiful.
Review: Brief Encounter is a classic film that turns one into a film lover. Based on a play by Noel Coward, and directed by David Lean, the pedigree of this film shows through in every respect. On face value, it's the story of a British middle-class married woman named Laura, played by Celia Johnson, who finds herself in love with a married doctor, played by Trevor Howard, during the WWII era. The story employs flashbacks and is narrated by the character Laura herself. This film hooks you from the first moment. Beneath the romantic plot are poignant themes...the seductiveness of mischief, the absurdity of romance, redemption, loyalty, even anarchy and the break-down of Victorian value systems. There are relatively daring ideas as well, given the era in which this film was made. Adultery, passion, deception, and even suicide are dealt with, but are handled with maturity and with respect for the characters and the audience. The performances are powerfully restrained and truthful, particularly that of Celia Johnson as the tortured almost-aldulteress (remember, this is 1940s England). The many smaller roles in the film are so carefully crafted and memorable, every detail is so vivid, I understand why my standards are high and why many modern films seem to leave me empty. The charms of Brief Encounter also include humor, inexplicably beautiful dialogue, haunting Rachmaninoff music, and cinematography at its best. If you are an anglo-phile, you'll devour the details of a train station, the station's waiting room/snack shop, a suburban household, a pharmacy and more. And if British stiff upper lip-ping is your cup of tea, well...Brief Encounter seems to have invented it. Although Brief Encounter is successful simply as a romance - no less than 2 hankies will do - this film is really a masterpiece to be cherished.
Rating:
Summary: Purely Thought-Provoking for Even the Puritanical
Review: Brief Encounter is an emotionally wrenching movie for the viewer who has, at one time or another, experienced personal struggles to contain desires that need not come to the forefront. Among these passions are the perpetual excitement and euphoria that one feels in a relationship to the extent that this association could develop into an extramarital affair.
Highlighting the aforementioned complexities in this highly acclaimed drama are the main characters, Laura Jesson, played by Celia Johnson, and Dr. Alec Harvey, played by Trevor Howard. Laura is portrayed as a housewife married to a man whom she loves but who seems, in many ways to her, cold and distant. Alec is a travelling doctor who is, himself, in a marriage that is not satisfying. Upon a chance encounter at a train station, Laura and Alec quickly develop an affiliation that progresses from two people who merely exchange polite greetings to virtual soul mates. Realizing that there is a magnetic attraction between them, they decide to meet every Thursday to enjoy each other's company, whether it be at the movie theater or at a private stroll in the park.
As the story proceeds, the ties that bind Laura and Alec strengthen and so do the consequential and overwhelming feelings of guilt. One can only sympathize, perhaps empathize, with Laura as she tries to come to terms with how events in her life have transpired. Experiencing heightened levels of contrition for her ever-surmounting affection for Alec, she asks herself how an ordinary woman could become, in so many words, a deceitful creature who now has so much to hide. And as this internal battle of self-condemnation flourishes, she comes to a proverbial fork in the road. She tells herself that since she is married to a good household provider, she has acquired levels of security and comfort that are higher than one could reasonably hope for in a marriage and should be entirely fulfilled. However, as she attempts to convince herself that life is complete with her husband and her children, she cannot drown out the perceived lack of romantic fulfillment in matrimony, and thus her adoration for Alec intensifies.
As the days pass, Laura must decide whether she will maintain further involvement with Alec. Though she has been overjoyed by her get-togethers with Alec and, intermittently, could convince herself that there is nothing wrong with these weekly adventures, Laura, upon each departure to head back home to her family, reflects upon her actions and subsequently acknowledges that these excursions kept secret from her husband should no longer persist.
With the transitions from one scene to the next, as masterfully laid out by David Lean, the movie is, quite arguably, a sexually charged masterpiece. Though there is neither nudity nor bed scene, there are, nonetheless, emotions laid bare to the extent that the viewer can sense the racing heartbeats and the overpowering agonies and ecstacies that simultaneously entrap these two lovers.
In sum, Brief Encounter is a series of emotional rollercoaster encounters. One moment, the communication is, essentially,"We must end this now! Let's not see each other, again!!"; the next, it is along the lines of "I want you, regardless of what God, man, or beast may think!"
Though this movie was produced back in 1945, it has, I think, a message that is for all times and for all age groups. To me, it was conveyed that when you love someone the right way, you should never take that passion for granted, or else, it will erode or be transposed into unsuitable relationships.
Rating: 
Summary: Sufficently Embarrassing
Review: Brief Encounter is an opportunity to find out what Noel Coward's English sophistication was all about back in 1945. This gay playwright was a force in the middle of the last century with plays in London and New York. His star has fallen considerably since then. Eugene O'Neil, Arthur Miller, and Harold Pinter seem so much meatier intellectually, or at least these writers are in tune with Socialist politics and remain the darling of the intellectual set.
David Lean directs this adaptation of Coward's play. Many consider the Lawrence of Arabia director the best Brit director ever. There were, however, a couple of continuation problems that distracted me. Celia Johnson of the 1945 face wears exactly the same dress through many unrelated scenes. Maybe her husband should have bought her a few more outfits? Ah, there's the trouble. Then in a scene where super, romantic lover, Trevor Howard, hangs over the rowboat at the bridge, and then there's a cut, he's in the water to his knees. Why didn't they show him falling back. Was it so dangerous, a fall of a few feet? Maybe I'm looking at a bad print, but this was Criterion.
Johnson has a middle-class life with her suited husband. With his tie knotted, he plays crossword puzzles all night by their fireplace. The kids are sniveling but cute, and her weekly Thursday afternoon getaway in town turns into a lover's affair with Howard. He's married too and works at a hospital only on those Thursdays. The lovers are crazy about each other, but they both know that their growing families are an impossible impediment. It's all very mature those knowing grasping moments of happiness once a week. However, Coward knew the British public wasn't going to allow this couple to consummate, so though the couple nears the precipice, the affair is ended. In the last scene, Johnson's husband declares that he knows she's been elsewhere lately and he's glad that she's back. This is all very understated, a bone for the middle-class.
All the trappings of an illicit affair are hashed over for the voyeur public. The telling of lies to believing spouses causes guilt. The interruptions or discovery by friends in public places are sufficiently embarrassing. The offending lovers are outside society and that is the glory of an affair, the danger enhances, but don't get caught. Your life could be over. Oh, get on with it, what!
Rating:
Summary: that moment the first awful feeling of danger swept over me
Review: Certainly this must rank with the great romance films. Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson, 30ish, are both happily married. By happenstance they meet and fall in love. But what to do with that love and the dilemma it creates? This film is very British, containing the dialogue, formalities and mores of Britain in the 40s. Some viewers may be turned off by this aspect but it is great nevertheless. The train imagery and its tie to fleeting relationships is superb. Noel Coward's script is clever, a model of well-spoken English and a pleasure to listen to. "Tell me that it's true, that it's the same with you!" Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 is deftly woven into the film adding emotional depth. Indeed, its theme has stuck with me for days bringing forth images from the film. As to the married relationships, the focus is primarily on Celia Johnson's. There is a great scene where she tries to tell her husband that she met a man, had lunch with him... When husband does not seemed concerned, she, who has obviously been agonizing over the situation, is engulfed with emotion. A moment to remember. And for those who love moments of romance, this has many.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic of the Romantic Cinema
Review: Everyone who has loved and lost his/her object of affection will feel deeply touched by this little unforgettable movie. It's one of the earliest David Lean's work, but also very effective as "Doctor Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia". Based on "Still Life", a play by Noel Cöward from the serie Tonight 8h30, the film is a flashback recalled by one character, after apparting from the love of her life Laura (Celia Johnson) and Alec (Trevor Howard) are two married ordinary people who happens to meet by chance and fall for each other later. They meet every Thursday in Milford, she goes there for shopping and the library and he goes to replace for a doctor friend os his in the local hospital. As the love affari develops in such a peace that it is impossible not to get in the mood with them, and root for the lovers. Lean uses many resources that he would use again in his epic films, such as the antecipation of the final result early in the opening credits. We can see Laura's and Alec's train crossing and going to different directions. After that we know we are about to watch an unfortunate love affair. I don't see it as a mistake, it made me longing to know what had led them to such an unhappy ending. To sum up, this is one of my favourite movies. Every time I watch it I have a different response to it. Most of them are sad, and wondering how short life can be and we more and more seem not to be prepared for some tricks of faith. I mean most of the time we have either-or questions to solve, and we are not ready to give up some things in order to get the other. Like Laura: what does she choose? Either a man she loves very much but barely knows -- and she doesn't feel brave enough to stay with him -- or her husband and children? If you were on her shoes what would you choose?
Rating:
Summary: A Classic of the Romantic Cinema
Review: Everyone who has loved and lost his/her object of affection will feel deeply touched by this little unforgettable movie. It's one of the earliest David Lean's work, but also very effective as "Doctor Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia". Based on "Still Life", a play by Noel Cöward from the serie Tonight 8h30, the film is a flashback recalled by one character, after apparting from the love of her life Laura (Celia Johnson) and Alec (Trevor Howard) are two married ordinary people who happens to meet by chance and fall for each other later. They meet every Thursday in Milford, she goes there for shopping and the library and he goes to replace for a doctor friend os his in the local hospital. As the love affari develops in such a peace that it is impossible not to get in the mood with them, and root for the lovers. Lean uses many resources that he would use again in his epic films, such as the antecipation of the final result early in the opening credits. We can see Laura's and Alec's train crossing and going to different directions. After that we know we are about to watch an unfortunate love affair. I don't see it as a mistake, it made me longing to know what had led them to such an unhappy ending. To sum up, this is one of my favourite movies. Every time I watch it I have a different response to it. Most of them are sad, and wondering how short life can be and we more and more seem not to be prepared for some tricks of faith. I mean most of the time we have either-or questions to solve, and we are not ready to give up some things in order to get the other. Like Laura: what does she choose? Either a man she loves very much but barely knows -- and she doesn't feel brave enough to stay with him -- or her husband and children? If you were on her shoes what would you choose?
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